27th Letter Books wins $100,000 in Hatch Detroit competition

27th Letter Books, an independent bookstore that aims to open a brick-and-mortar location in Jefferson Chalmers, has won the 2019 Comerica Hatch Detroit competition.

27th Letter Books, an independent bookstore and audio recording space, has won a $100,000 grant in this year's Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest.

The bookstore's mission is to connect and inspire people through stories, with an emphasis on underrepresented voices. Its owners aim to open a brick and mortar location in Detroit's Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood

The winner was selected Thursday night after finalists pitched their business plans for judges in an event at The Beacon at One Woodward in downtown Detroit, according to a news release.

The competition run by nonprofit Hatch Detroit funds independent retailers, restaurants and other small businesses looking to open up in Detroit, Highland Park or Hamtramck. The winner also gets $200,000 in pro-bono support from Hatch Detroit and its partners.

This year's round was a bit different: Comerica Bank doubled its annual award from $50,000 to $100,000 as costs to open a brick-and-mortar business in the city increase. Also, due to a close public vote, Hatch Detroit selected five finalists instead of the usual four.

The contest selected 10 semifinalists out of a pool of nearly 450 businesses, a record number for the competition. From there, a public vote was held to choose finalists, and a second vote wrapped up Thursday. Judges ultimately chose the winner, taking the public votes into consideration.